Home / Business and Economy / Missouri Child Care Crisis: Waitlists Soar Amidst New Tax Credits
Missouri Child Care Crisis: Waitlists Soar Amidst New Tax Credits
20 May
Summary
- Missouri faces a child care crisis with a 19% surge in qualifying families.
- A new waitlist in Missouri grew 60% in one week, impacting over 1,500 families.
- Kansas loosens licensing rules while Missouri offers tax credits for child care.
Missouri's Child Care Subsidy Program has implemented a new waitlist starting March 1, 2026, due to a 19% surge in eligible families since January 2025. The waitlist saw a 60% increase in its first week of March 2026, with over 1,500 families now on it, impacting parents' work and finances.
To address this, the Missouri House passed a bill on April 2, 2026, introducing three tax credit programs aimed at encouraging child care donations and employer support. However, Democratic lawmakers question the $70 million annual revenue cost and its benefit to families.
Concurrently, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed a bill creating an Office of Early Childhood and easing licensing rules. The new law allows one adult to care for up to four children under certain conditions without a license, a move concerning given previous child care fatalities in unlicensed settings.
Both states are grappling with child care accessibility, but with divergent strategies: Missouri using tax incentives and Kansas relaxing regulations.
